1951 To 1960
1950 - 1999 City: In the late 20th century high unemployment recurs. The old industries of linen, engineering and shipbuilding decline and many workers are laid off. However service industries such as education, local government, and retail grow rapidly. At the end of the 20th century there is a flourishing industry in Belfast making aircraft. During the 1960s and 1970s there is crowded and sub-standard housing, although the situation improves by the end of the century, partly because many people move to satellite communities.1950 World: North Korean Communist forces invade South Korea and the Korean War begins.A Sino-Soviet friendship treaty signed. Tibet is invaded by Communist Chinese forces. In Britain atomic physicist Klaus Fuchs, a British citizen, is convicted of spying for the Soviet Union.
1951-1954 IRL: de Valera is Taoiseach again.
1951 IRL: Ian Paisley forms Free Presbyterian Church.
World: Seoul falls first to Communist forces on Jan. 4th, and is re-taken by USA led UN troops on March 14th. Despite peace talks in July and October, the Korean War continues. Six nations agree to the Schuman Plan to pool European coal and steel (March 19th). This was implimented on Feb10th, 1953 commencing a process which leads to the formation of the European Union. Japanese peace treaty signed in San Francisco by 49 nations on Sept 8th. Libya gains independence from Italy (Dec 24th).
1952 World: George VI dies and is succeeded by his daughter Elizabeth II (Feb 6th). King Farouk of Egypt is ousted by a military coup (July 23rd). General Mo -
hammed Naguib assumes power. Britain announces its development of atomic weapons (Oct.). Greece and Turkey join NATO. Dwight Eisenhower is elected President of the USA.
1953 IRL: A car ferry sinks in the Irish Sea in one of the worst gales in living memory claiming the lives of up to 130 passengers and crew. The “Princess Victoria”, a British Railways car ferry , bound for Larne in Northern Ireland, had left Stranraer on the south-west coast of Scotland an hour before when the stern gates to the car deck were forced open in heavy seas. Among the passengers who perish are the Northern Ireland Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Major J M Sinclair, and Sir Walter Smiles, the Ulster Unionist MP for North Down. Queen Mary (85), of Great Britain and North Ireland dies Mar 24.
World: Joseph Stalin dies (March 5th). Georgi Malenkov becomes Soviet Premier; Lavrenti Beria, Minister of Interior; Vyacheslav Molotov, Foreign Minister (March 6th). East Berliners rise against Communist rule; quelled by tanks (June 17th). Korean armistice signed (July 27th). Moscow announces explosion of hydrogen bomb (Aug 20th). Tito becomes president of Yugoslavia.
1954 IRL: Flags & Emblems Act in Northern Ireland prohibits display of Irish tricolour or disturbing display of Union Jack.
World: Nasser becomes premier of Egypt (April 17th). Vietnam peace conference convenes in Geneva (April to July). The country is divided at the 17th parallel, pending democratic elections. Dien Bien Phu a French military outpost in Vietnam, falls to Viet Minh army (May 7th). An eight-nation defence treaty establishing the South East Asia Treaty Organisation is signed at Manila (Sept 8th). Paris agreements grant West Germany sovereignty and admittance to NATO and Western European Union (Oct 23rd; effective from May, 1955). Algerian War of Independence against France begins (Oct 31st).
1955 The foundation stone of the Eastern Apse and Ambulatory is laid by Lord Wakehurst, Governor of Northern Ireland, on September 24th.
IRL: As the 50th Anniversary of V-E Day approaches, the Prime Minister of the Republic, John Bruton declares that it is time for the Republic to reassess its history and finally pay proper homage to its citizens who served in the Allied forces. Republic of Ireland joins the United Nations.
World: Nikolai A. Bulganin becomes Soviet premier, replacing Malenkov (Feb 8th). Winston Churchill resigns (April 5th). He is succeeded by Anthony Eden. Federal Republic of West Germany becomes a sovereign state (May 5th). The Warsaw Pact, a mutual defence treaty is signed by the Soviet Union and seven East European countries (May 14th). Argentina ousts dictator Juan Perón (Sept 19th).
US starts sending $216 million in aid to Vietnam. The USA, UK, USSR, and France meet at a summit in Geneva.
1956 - 62 IRL: IRA violence.
1956 Cuthbert I. Peacock is appointed dean.
World: Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of USSR Communist Party, denounces Stalin's excesses (Feb 24th). Morocco gains independence from France (March 1st.) and Spain (April 7th). A workers' uprising against Communist rule in Poland is crushed (June 28th -30th). Egypt takes control of Suez Canal (July 26th). Israel launches an attack on Egypt's Sinai peninsula and drives toward Suez Canal (Oct. 29th). British and French invade Egypt at Port Said (Nov 5th). Cease-fire forced by USA pressure stops British, French, and Israeli advance (Nov 6th). Soviet troops and tanks crush anti-Communist uprisings in Hungary (Nov).Eisenhower is re-elected President of the USA with a record vote.
1957-1959 IRL: de Valera is Taoiseach for the 3rd time.
World: Anthony Eden resigns as Prime Minister of the UK (Jan. 9th). He is succeeded by Harold MacMillan. Russia launches Sputnik I, the first earth-orbiting satellite (Oct 4th).The USSR tests its first successful ICBM : inter-continental ballistic missile.
1958 World: The European Economic Community (Common Market) becomes effective on Jan 1st. Egypt and Syria merge into United Arab Republic (Feb 1st).
Khrushchev becomes Premier of Soviet Union as Bulganin resigns (Mar 27th).
General Charles de Gaulle becomes French premier (June 1st). He remains in power until 1969.E isenhower orders US Marines into Lebanon at request of President Chamoun, who fears overthrow (July 15th). A new French constitution is adopted (Sept 28). de Gaulle is elected president of the Fifth Republic (Dec 21).
1959-1973 IRL: de Valera is President of the Irish Republic.
1959 Eastern Apse and Ambulatory are consecrated by Archbishop McCann of Armagh, on April 17th. New stalls are provided for Choir and Chapter.
IRL: Sean Lemass succeeds Eamonn de Valera as Prime Minster of the Republic of Ireland. Irish Congress of Trade Unions founded to succeed Irish Trade Union Congress (est.1894).
World: Batista, the President of Cuba, resigns and flees (Jan 1st). Fidel Castro assumes power (Feb 16th). Tibet's Dalai Lama escapes to India (Mar 31st). Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev tours the USA, and meets with President Eisenhower at Camp David. Britain recognizes the independence of Cyprus.
1960 World: American U-2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, is shot down over Russia (May 1st). Khrushchev halts a summit conference in Paris because of the U-2 incident (May 16th). Adolf Eichmann, a top Nazi murderer, is captured by Israelis in Argentina (May 23rd.) After a trial, he is executed in Israel in 1962. Communist China and Soviet Union split in a conflict over Communist ideology. Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, and Zaire (Belgian Congo) gain independence. There are 900 US military advisers in South Vietnam. John F Kennedy has narrow victory over Richard M Nixon in Presidential election in USA.
